Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the ATP Tour for the best part of two years.
The pair have been almost unbeatable, winning all of the past eight Grand Slam events combined.
Challenging Alcaraz and Sinner appears to be a near-impossibility. Sinner ended 2025 with a 58-6 record on the Tour, while Alcaraz concluded the season having lost only nine of his 80 matches.
Who do you think will retire with more Grand Slam titles?
When watching the star-studded duo, it often seems as if they dictate the pace of play from the very first point of each match.
This matter was recently discussed by Tommy Paul, the American world number 21.
Tommy Paul says tennis fans fail to identify the adjustments Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner make during matches
Of the 12 matches Tommy Paul has played against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the American has won three.
Paul has not defeated Sinner or Alcaraz since the 2023 Canadian Open. At the event, Paul defeated Alcaraz 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
In an interview with Gill Gross, Paul discussed what it is like to play Alcaraz and Sinner, and the mistake tennis fans make when analysing the pair.
“I think a lot of people look at it maybe the wrong way,” Paul began.
“They’re [tennis fans] looking at it like ‘oh, you did this to beat him, you could have just done this in the second set.’ When it’s really like, these guys are good, like very good players.
“They’re [Alcaraz and Sinner] adjusting; they’re not letting you play the same tennis that you did in the first set.
“And for me it’s important, like I do in the first set, like I play the match, even against Sinner and Alcaraz, a lot of the time it will feel like that first set is on my terms.
“And then it’s an easy switch to notice, like you look at the second set and you can start noticing that Sinner or Alcaraz, they’re starting to play the match a lot more on their terms and a lot more aggressive.
What do you make of Marion Bartoli’s comments? Do you think there is any chance of Alcaraz retiring before 25?
“They’re changing direction a lot more, they’re basically running the show there in the second set, so it’s very hard to not let them do that.
“Especially… in one set things can happen, but then after you can literally watch like a mindset change from them. And once they switch their mindset it’s hard to really get them to stop what they want to do.
“Obviously it is a lot of me, but it is a lot of them too. So it’s something that I’m trying to figure out also. These guys are pretty good so, we’ll have to just keep working on it.”
Sinner and Alcaraz are both preparing for the first Grand Slam of the year in Australia. Sinner, who recently practised with Flavio Cobolli, is aiming to win a third consecutive Australian Open title.
Tommy Paul wins his opening match in Adelaide
Tommy Paul arrived in Australia earlier this month to play his first tournament of 2026 at the Brisbane International.
Unfortunately for fans of the American, he was defeated in his opening match by Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard: 7-6, 3-6, 7-6.
A week later, Paul is competing in the Adelaide International.
His hopes of winning the tournament were boosted on Wednesday when he won his opening round match against compatriot Reilly Opelka: 6-4, 6-4.
Paul will face Australian player Aleksandar Vukic in the next round.
